Police get tough on Dodger Stadium tailgating, 132 arrested

A total of 132 people were arrested Tuesday, with most accused of drinking in public, said Capt. William Murphy of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Several more were arrested on suspicion of scalping tickets and illegal vending, he said. More than 50 traffic and parking citations also were handed out.

“Overall, it was a far better day than last year,” Murphy said. “No major incidents.”

Tailgating -- with or without alcohol -- is not allowed in the Dodger Stadium parking lots. In years past, fans say, security officers looked the other way unless they were unruly or drunk. Last year, the Dodgers made a pointed effort to crack down on drinking in stadium parking lots.

"It's always been a rule, but it's only recently been enforced in the last couple of years," said Carol Mitchell, an off-duty Los Angeles police officer working Monday as a security officer for the Dodgers. She said people had been generally calm and cooperative so she has tried to be equally low-key.

-- Kate Linthicum

Photo: Terry Romero, who has been to every opening day since Dodger Stadium was built, criticized the effort to curtail tailgating. Credit: Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times